The Daily Gripe

Smushbush Toy and the Easy Button

News last week featured reports of President George Bush's approval rating at an all time low. With a collapsed deal with Dubai Ports World and the 3-year (going on 4) anniversary of the Iraq war, this may hold true:

The Staples Easy Button: Perhaps not just for the common-folk.

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Help a Sistah Out

I have been on hold for over 5 minutes. "We value your business. Please continue to hold." Well, I had no choice but to do as the calm woman's voice told me to. This was the 2nd time I was trying to get an update from [financial institution] on some ordered gift cards several months ago that were not received.

And then a human's voice! "Thank you for calling [financial institution], may I have your ***** and your ***** for verification purposes please?"

I obeyed. I once again narrated my situation - that I am not to purchase anything, I just want to know the status of those cards, who dropped the ball, was my tracking number bogus, etc. Without having to narrate the entire story details here, the voice on the other line kept on apologizing and saying that "I understand your situation, unfortunately..." Sure, you understand my situation - you just can't help me. I bet there's some sort of index card cheat sheet on your cube guiding you on how to deal with callers at the cusp of agony and anger....

Hmm.

I let him talk some more - and was throwing some harmless questions just to hear him speak. There was a hint of an accent there that I thought: Could it be...? I cut him off mid-sentence.

"Pinoy ka ba?"

He stopped. Silence. Obviously startled but managed a, "Uh, yes ma'am." I just asked him if he was Filipino to which he confirmed what I thought (while shouldn't be a surprise): I got diverted to a call center in Manila, Philippines.

"Pakiusap lang...." I talked to him in Taglish and pleaded my case. With all the kind juices left of me, I asked that he help me out. He was still a bit shaken up that I threw the language-nationality card at him. I was put on hold again twice, on both occasions he said he escalated it to the manager, but to no avail. Third time I got the hold music, I put the phone down (or slammed it, details are vague now).

The spirit of brotherhood - at least in this instance, did not get me too far.

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Language Confusionism

I was asked once: "When you're in thought, do you think in English, or Filipino?"

At that point, I just stopped and was letting the question sink in. When - in the course of over nine years in the US, did I think predominantly in English? I grew up in the Philippines - but learning on Sesame Street (not dubbed over with any other language as they have done in several countries), so I doubt this recent realization is a betrayal. Either way, for a beautiful place coined as the Pearl of the Orient Seas, this language conundrum leaves us in need of some polishing.